UTK “Guns on Campus” Faculty Poll

The poll was sent to all faculty associated with the Knoxville campus, including UTK, UTIA, and UTSI. It included the following information:

Tennessee lawmakers are considering a bill (HB1736) that would allow faculty and staff to carry concealed weapons, with a permit, on campus at public colleges and universities in the UT and Tennessee Board of Regents systems. Both university systems have opposed the bill and have asked for an amendment that would allow each individual campus to opt out, but the amendment failed with a tie vote in committee. Other amendments have been proposed that would allow each university to set policies regarding concealed weapons on campus.

Participants were asked to express agreement or disagreement with these statements:

#1: Allowing guns on campus is in the best interest of the campus community.

#2: Each university campus should have the authority to set its own policies regarding guns on campus. #3: As a faculty member, I would feel comfortable with firearms in my classroom.

At the time of this report, 723 of 1758 faculty had responded (41%). Faculty were able to provide open ended comments, and we have included all of them in this report. This is a thematic analysis of the 341 comments:

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

Guns on campus will make me feel unsafe.

Question 2 is vague. I assume that this question is in the context of the bill passing into law, in which case I agree, campuses should have the ability to maintain their current policies. However, you could read the question as allowing campuses to allow guns, even if this bill were not to pass. In that case, I would strongly disagree. I cannot believe there are any reputable studies that reflect that this is a good bill.

Our campus police are intensely trained to respond to incidents, and I would rather have them responding to random shooters than relying on students and faculty carrying their own guns. I am a female faculty member. An older male faculty member once threatened that he wanted to get a gun and shoot me. He was serious, and if a gun were in his brief case, I believe he would have acted on his threat. Students get mad at other students or their teachers. A disgruntled student could over react with fire arms.

Students often feel vulnerable and stressed, and adding weapons to that mix seems like a recipe for disaster.

This is a crazy idea!

This is a bad idea. Being in the mental health care field, I know how many students, staff and faculty are dealing with problems of anxiety, fear and impulse control. A disagreement can very quickly escalate into a tragedy. We have recently had issues with a former university colleague, whom many feared would lash out against us- allowing firearms on campus would make a tense situation like this turn ugly.

I will strongly consider leaving UT if this bill passes

Although the risk of mass shootings is small overall, the risk of mass shootings is much higher in gun free zones than outside of gun free zones. I have much less concern about allowing individuals with training in the use of a handgun to carry on campus than the concern that I currently feel from being in a gun free zone. The very fact that such carry were allowed would reduce the risk of mass shootings. As a holder of a carry permit, I would not expect to carry on campus. However, there have been times when I wanted to go to the range and fire my weapon, but University policy prohibit me from even having my weapon in my car parked on campus. That has been an inconvenience.

As a librarian, I would feel very uncomfortable with guns being allowed in the library. the words of John McEnroe: “You can’t be serious!”
Thank you for asking.
The above comments apply where bearers of arms have current carry permits.

I can in no way justify allowing guns to be carried on campus.

As a faculty member here, I would seriously consider leaving UTK if my students were allowed to carry guns into my classroom or office.

While I do not want guns in my classroom and think they will make campus less safe, I am unsure of the legal basis of allowing individual campuses to set these policies.

This measure is absolutely 100% the WRONG way to help create a safe campus.

I have no fear of other faculty/staff having guns on campus. shooters only target “no-gun” zones for their attacks, so logically, the presence of guns would deter killings. How this is not clearly evident to people is unclear to me.

I have always wanted to carry a double-barreled shotgun to class, but not if I have to conceal it.

This would be a terrible move in all respects.

I am deeply alarmed about the possibility of students, faculty or staff carrying firearms on campus. As an educator, I am not trained to deal with a situation where a student or colleague produces a firearm in my classroom, an event that I feel is much much more likely if people are allowed to carry firearms on campus. I feel that this law is putting my students, colleagues, and myself in harms way for no other reason than to impose an ideological position. There is no reason to have firearms on campus. I don’t want them here. Certainly the second ammendment, which is specifically talking about the maintenance of an organized militia, is being stretched to the point of absurdity by laws like the one proposed.

Such laws want to make me go back to Europe again! Such laws are not adequate for a civilized country!

Our campus does not have the authority to lift restrictions set in place by law and likewise our campus should not have the authority to limit freedoms granted by law. Imagine that it were currently illegal for licensed drivers to drive on campus, but state lawmakers finally passed a law that guarantees the privilege of licensed drivers to drive on campus; however the University didn’t like the law so they asked if they could be granted the right to restrict the new freedom; however they were told no they could not. Car accidents kill over 30,000 people every year which is roughly 3 times the number killed by gun violence, yet no one would rally people to oppose having cars on campus.

I do not want to be in a place where such idiotic ideas are allowed to become “law.” Guns? Can we have a bill to force every single lawmaker of the state to take courses in social sciences and humanities? Why not? Seems their terminal illiteracy is a greater threat to humanity than global warming. I think I will leave this campus should such a stupid idea turn into law.

Adding lots of guns to our classrooms would certainly undermine everyone’s safety, and hurt the agenda of advancing high level intellectual pursuits. I would plan on looking for employment elsewhere should my students and colleagues start coming to classes and faculty meetings packing firearms.
By allowing guns on campus, it will not only increase the chances of violence on campus, but it can severally damage the reputation of the university. There will be negative press and strong faculty that disagree with the carrying guns on campus will leave to be at a more safer environment.

We do not need guns carried by students and/or faculty on our campus.

Allowing guns on campus is NOT in the best interests of the campus community.

As a professor who mainly teaches very large courses in the hundreds of students (where I don’t get the change to know students on an individual level), frequently encounters and reports instances of plagiarism, and teaches sensitive topics related to global and identity politics, I would be extremely uncomfortable doing my job if guns were allowed on campus and in my classroom, and feel sure it would affect my teaching negatively. I also believe that guns on campus would negatively affect students’ comfort in participating in class and engaging in productive debate with other students.

I am completely against anyone, faculty, staff, students or visitors, having guns on campus.

Im generally for 2nd amendment issues, however, my primary issue with this bill is that concealed weapons permits are not all that difficult to obtain, and as such, I would feel less comfortable in my classroom if numerous members of the class were armed. At the same time, I recognize that there is a potential for someone to stop an active shooter, but the odds of this type of attack are reasonably small, and I would expect my institution to put into place other more robust defenses before resorting to this type of solution.

I vehemently oppose guns on campus – or in any public place for that matter. I am horrified that we even have to discuss this issue in an educational campus.

As a center of learning we should provide both students and faculty a place of safety without the fear of violence.

Please do not allow guns on campus! As a professor, my perception of being unsafe in my work place will increase astronomically.

this is not the Far West!

These are not the sorts of laws Tennesseans have elected their lawmakers to spend time drafting. These are the sorts of legislative initiatives that continue to work against improving the image of Tennessee, recasting it as a forward looking state worth investing in as a place in which to invest and grow one’s company. If legislators wish to live in a state where they can carry a concealed weapon on a university campus, they would do well to move to Texas where many like-minded people await them and the overall intellectual capital of our legislature increase by their absence.

Guns on campus will lead to more accidental discharges and ultimately student, faculty, staff injuries and deaths. It is not apparent that it would prevent large-scale massacres such as what happened at Virginia Tech.

I voted “Strongly Disagree” on item 2 because I don’t think guns should be allowed on any campus.
My faculty resignation is likely in the event of HB1736
Firearms of any type have no place on a University campus except in the hands of law enforcement officers. UT is part of a state system. It should follow the rules the state system establishes.

Safety should be our key issue; if allowing guns to be carried by certified/licensed individuals provides a safer university/campus, then I support it.

The day this happens I will resign.

If weapons on University of Tennessee campus are approved, we will begin to accept invitations to interview at other universities.

we should be able to opt out only if there is a law to opt out of – otherwise all campuses should prohibit guns on campus and if THAT’s the law then great!

Gun at the university !!!! Silly idea

Guns should not be allowed on campus. If an armed officer is taking courses (a situation we have had in our department), that situation is unnerving enough for instructors and students. I can’t imagine the level of tension in a class were non-uniformed students allowed to carry. I would feel personally on my guard and would suspect that, consciously or not, the student was using the gun to intimidate me as the professor and/or other students. A gun confers its own authority–the threat of violence–that undermines the professor’s putative institutional authority. Should I carry as well to assert my dominance and, perhaps, make myself and students feel safer? That way lies madness.

This is appalling, dangerous, completely uninformed and very shortsighted. I will not tolerate any gun in my classroom and I consider this an intrusion of the NRA which should be blocked.This is a place of education where minds meet and where we strive to achieve consensus through discourse. It is not a gun show or a Donald Trump rally….

The second question, regarding each campus having the authority to set its own policies, requires a more nuanced answer: I don’t think local municipalities and campuses should be deciding gun policies and laws at all. I think that the state or federal government should regulate this, just as they do access and exposure to tobacco products and smoking policies, for instance. But if they will not actually REGULATE guns so that they are only carried by trained law enforcement personnel on campuses, then yes, every campus should have the authority to set its own policies regarding guns. Guns need to be controlled, much more reasonably, and carefully, than they are in this country and this state. The current trends in the state legislature with respect to gun control are ill- considered and dangerous to the very fabric of our society, as well as to the core values of a university, of educational excellence and academic freedom. Guns on campuses is nothing short of a STUPID idea.

The only reason to be armed on campus would be to neutralize an active shooter. That requires the kind of training that sworn police officers have and that most carry-permit holders do not. People who carry guns on campus need to be trained and certified to deal with active shooter situations, and to have that certification renewed on a regular basis. To allow guns on campus without these kinds of safeguards virtually ensures that any active shooter incident will have even more victims because of friendly fire.

Guns should NOT be allowed on campus!

The logic that more guns make us safer is fundamentally flawed. I am VERY STRONGLY opposed to any guns on campus, except police. Should such a gun law be passed, I would change my response to Question 2.

Individual campus policies on this issue would be problematic, but if HB1736 is passed then this is the best backup option

I will most likely resign UTK if guns were allowed on campus. This bill is just one of many bad ideas put forth by our legislators

Allowing guns on campus would make me feel much less safe.

The second question is somewhat difficult for me as worded. In my opinion, guns should not be allowed on any campus. It should be a blanket restriction, and campuses should not have the ability to decide to allow guns. The Legislature should be intelligent enough to recognize that campuses are inherently volatile places, given the maturity level of students. There is no issue of personal rights here — that idea is a red herring. However, I recognize that the intent of the question is to prevent our current Legislature from forcing us to allow guns on campus. And, in that sense, I support the mechanism that allows reason to bubble to the top.

In an environment where students/people are often observed and evaluated, feelings are often hurt. Having access to a weapon would only make the situation more volatile. I would fear for my life when arguments occur.

If this passes, expect an exodus-like event of your top scholars. We will take our grants, our doctoral students, and our CVs to another university. UT can say goodbye to its dreams of Top 25 ranking.

My guess is that question 3 will have no effect whatsoever on the proponents of this law, who distrust university faculty and who think that making faculty feel uncomfortable in classrooms (and hence less likely, as they imagine it, to spread liberal propaganda) is one of the benefits of the bill, not one of the unintended consequences.

If this is about faculty and staff, I do not have a problem with concealed carry. Students on the other hand, I do have a problem with concealed carry for them.

Regarding campus policy, I actually believe that institutions not be able to determine the issue of guns on campus because the law should be statewide (nation wide) that no one outside of law enforcement personnel be allowed to carry firearms on public property.

Guns and weapons of any kind have no place on an university campus.

There is no place for guns on campus. This is a non-issue.

This makes me sick. You can’t foster a safe trusting campus with guns around. Going to increase suicide successes. Instead of fighting people are going to kill each other.

I recall Brian Gard’s comment that it takes a day to teach someone how to use a firearm and a year to learn WHEN to use a firearm against another person. I think we should leave this skill to our accredited campus police department.
The idea is completely crazy to begin with. There’s enough of a concern about angry students being aggressive about their grades, but to allow them to carry guns and add that to the mix? Terrifying. Yes, people can hide guns and bring them in. There’s no doubting that. But when they can readily bring guns without any concern, even the nicest person can lose control and shoot someone else. Criminals will be criminals. That won’t change. But a weapon in the hands of a stressed-out and angry person can easily make that person cross the line into criminal behavior. It’s not worth it.

I feel as if I’m falling down a logical rabbit hole. Guns should never be on campus, period. If a shooter is on campus, what are the odds that anything like a sensible de-escalation would take place? If the would be shooters want to have constant access to their weapons, let them carry sticks and stones. I don’t understand why this is even an issue. Who feels as though a gun is necessary on a college campus? Let the gun slingers find rifle ranges and blast away at paper people. I don’t want them around me anywhere, especially when I’m on my way to teaching a class in Humanities!!

Please stop this insanity.

I would actively search for a new job if guns were allowed on campus.

This is crazy talk and will cause Tennessee Brain Drain, which based upon this proposal, is saying something. Kids with guns is a bad idea. I shouldn’t have to say any more. What is wrong with our legislature? There are so many more pressing concerns than guns on campus.
This is one of the legislature’s WORST ideas – and they’ve had plenty of bad ideas. It is an especially bad idea considering the number of shootings at schools we’ve witnessed over the last few years. I would feel afraid in my classroom, knowing that someone in the class might be carrying a gun. Students get angry with teachers – we all know that. An angry student with a gun might act out impulsively by using the gun. Undergraduates are not yet adults – they maintain a tendency to be impulsive. If this bill passes, I will consider early retirement because I don’t want to be fearful in my own classroom.. Seriously.

The thought of guns being allowed on campus is terrifying. College can be an extremely stressful time and on at least several occasions students have attributed their loss of a scholarship or dismissal from the university to a poor grade they earned in my class. Most other instructors have shared the same experience. All it takes is one such student to act out on their anger with a weapon and people could be killed or seriously injured and UT would become the next Virginia Tech.

There is no room for firearms on campus, end of story.

As a teacher, who loves teaching, I would consider quitting my job if firearms were allowed in my classroom.

More guns do not make us safer. I strongly, strongly object to firearms on campus and feel extremely uncomfortable with the idea of concealed weapons in my classroom and on our campus. Thank you for doing this poll, and thanks to the voices of reason that are insisting campuses get to determine their own policies regarding this issue.

Faculty often deal with students who are emotionally volatile for a number of reasons, may be suffering from anxiety over academic performance, and occasionally with students who are dealing with mental health issues. I

do not want to have to worry about a student being armed when I am discussing difficult issues with them.

In my personal and professional opinion I believe FACULTY who choose to carry a concealed weapon on campus with a TN awarded permit should be allowed to carry. In light of campus shootings that have happened nation wide in our nations history it could save lives should an active shooter decide to come on campus. I do not believe students should be allowed to carry as if under the influence of substances poor decisions could occur that could cost student and faculty lives. I personally have held a permit in another state for a few years and now have been awarded a handgun carry permit from the state of TN and I would comfortable be able to safely know when and how not to use my pistol on campus IF there was an active shooter who entered my classroom or was on campus in my presence. I believe if the community knew that there could be several faculty you MAY BE CARRYING it may deter an active shooter from coming onto campus knowing there could be others prepared to defend students and faculty on campus. It is not easy to obtain a permit and there is required classroom training, with examination and need to prove you know how to use your pistol with 75% accuracy in your final performance examination not to mention it is costly. Safety is of the utmost essence and I personally would feel much safer on campus knowing that some of my faculty peers may be carrying a concealed weapon should an armed shooter crisis occur on campus. Campus police cannot be at all places at all times on campus. History has proven that many a concealed carrier has saved lives nationwide with an active shooter incident. Thank you!

If guns are permitted on UTK’s campus I will immediately resign my faculty position and seek employment elsewhere. An armed classroom is incompatible with authentic learning.

I am a professor and a hunter, who has used guns for most of my life. They are great on the shooting range or in the field, but they have no place in schools or the workplace. I reject the NRA argument that having guns in public places makes us safer. There is no data to support this.

Allowing firearms into my classroom is terrifying. I would not feel safer, and most likely would leave the university if this became policy.

Simply stated, if the ridiculous children in the state legislature force this bill through, I’ll resign from the university and move to a state that doesn’t force this sort of purely ideological nonsense. I will not feel safe in a classroom with armed students, and I will not teach to them.

Under no circumstances do I support allowing firearms on campus in any capacity.

Ridiculous idea. No firearms on campus!

I brought this up with my family at dinner last night. My son, who is a loyal UT fan and had been proud that UT might be his 1st choice college, commented, “Well, I guess I don’t have to decide about loyalty to UT. I’m not attending a university with a bunch of guns on campus!” This and similar actions by our legislators are hurting our state! [redacted], PhD, Professor, University of Tennessee

The wording in Question 3 reflects the survey designer’s bias against this proposed bill. This bill does not allow for anyone to bring a firearm into a classroom; the bill is for those with a legal permit to carry a firearm into a classroom. As written, this distinction is not made in Question 3. I would not feel comfortable if someone without a firearm permit brought a weapon to my classroom. However, I would feel comfortable if someone who had taken the Handgun Safety course and a legal handgun permit had a concealed handgun in my classroom.

I disagree that the each university campus should set its own gun policies because I think that it should be a state wide policy that guns are not allowed on campus.

I would hope the state would set a mandate that guns are not allowed in institutions that receive state funds. Ideally that would include most educational institutions.

Whatever can be done to interrupt/derail this effort should be done with vehemence.

Candidly, I do not think the questions capture the complex nature of this issue. Campuses are targets. If folks have concealed weapons permits and have been vetted by the authorities, then the answers are quite different.

The questions of this poll were purposely chosen to appear to ask us about the Tennessee law being proposed, but actually to lean the person toward the desired No-Yes-No result. This is dishonest polling; whoever designed the questions is guilty of pulling a deceitful bait and switch. I answered the question in terms of the wording of the law itself, i.e., applied to faculty and staff who had lawful carry permits. Shame.
I completely oppose the idea of anyone except for the police to have weapons of any kind on campus. I do believe that money and effort would be well spent in providing classrooms and offices with methods of securing them from intruders and many news shows have covered various devices designed for this purpose. Protecting ourselves and our students is our first priority and the weaponry should be left to the police who are trained to appropriately use them. Emotions often run high at the end of the semester and the thought of arms in the hands of anyone other than the police is a terrifying thought.
This bill undermines academic freedom as having guns in the classroom will chill speech. There is no rational basis for advocating such a policy as no research shows that the presence of guns decreases the violence. In fact, research shows just the opposite. Also, the second question in this poll is somewhat problematically written. It is not clear from the way it is written what the ability to set their own policies would mean. I don’t feel guns have any place on campus. I care little about if it is a local decision or a state decision. Guns simply don’t belong on campus.
Question 3 is not specific enough to the proposed legislation at hand. The question of firearms in general in the classroom (assuming the wider student body by phrasing) and firearms in control of a faculty or staff member are two different questions. While I strongly disagree that a campus environment is a place for wider acceptance and adoption of firearms, I also understand the legitimate concerns of employees that may be presented with a violent confrontation of a student. The ability of restraining orders and campus bans to keep an individual determined on purposes of destruction just do not work. UTPD is great, however I also realize that in a situation where seconds matter their ability to intervene and rapidly control a situation is limited and ultimately the control of such an individual lies solely on the responsibility on the individuals in contact at that moment in time. If students, faculty and staff, are taught to run, duck and cover rather than defend themselves very aggressively we are living in a utopian veil that will inevitably be pierced potentially to great effect. Students, faculty and staff should be highly encouraged to attend informational training sessions on how to properly defend themselves and their peers if they are presented with a situation where harm may come to them or those in close proximity.
I am curious what other constitutional protections the faculty senate thinks should be up to the discretion of campus policies. Regardless of one’s opinions on the particular public policy wisdom of guns on campus, constitutional law is fairly clear on this matter.
It’s embarrassing even having to vote on this issue. Allowing weapons on campus contradicts with the very principle of the education and with the nature itself. Fear and destruction have no place in school system and neither in developed society. Encourage creativity and inspire learning through kindness and care and not with concealed carry.

If guns are allowed on campus, I will have to reconsider my employment at the university. I will not teach on campus if guns are allowed. Clearly, I strongly oppose guns on campus!

I NEVER want firearms in my classroom or on this campus.

It is insanity to me that we are even considering this. Guns have no place on a campus or at any school. People’s children are on this campus. Guns do not prevent violence, hello?

If guns are allowed on campus, I will no longer work here.

This proposed policy is insane

Using a firearm in an active shooter situation requires extensive training and regular practice. Otherwise, armed amateurs are more of a liability than an asset. We don’t need wannabe heroes wielding deadly force on campus. That makes the university less safe for everyone.

I do not want to allow guns on campus. So in regards to question 2, I would not want my university to be able to set its own policies if it felt like guns should be allowed.

In light of the recent mass shootings in the United States, this is simply a really bad idea.

Allowing firearms, while they may be out there already, would condone a behavior that is adverse to the mission the university is charged with carrying out. It works against everything we are trying to accomplish in our teaching, research and service.
I have both gun owners and non-gun owners in my family. While I appreciate the right of folks to own guns subject to appropriate legal restrictions, I also know that, for many, guns are not an everyday item in their lives– by socialization or by choice. The capacity of guns to do damage to people and property makes many feel uncomfortable with them. They signify palpable power in certain contexts. They can alter the dynamics in social situations very quickly. They make some people feel nervous and other people feel safe. They tend to distract because of their very nature. I do not think this is well appreciated by those for whom guns are a part of their everyday life. But many permit holders I know, including family members, do appreciate the fact that guns alter personal and group relationships. As an educator, I want to create an environment in and outside my classroom that is conducive to learning. Guns present a potential distraction in our learning environment, in my view. This is true whether they are carried by faculty or students. Guns carried by faculty may alter the power dynamic in the teacher/student relationship or in relationships among faculty or between faculty and staff. Guns carried by students may alter relationships among students or between teachers or staff and students. Imagine how grade dispute conversations, for example, may be impacted by the presence of guns in the hands of the faculty member or the student–in particular in circumstances where one of the two is not accustomed to guns in his or her daily life . . . . Moreover, guns in the hands of anyone on a college campus make the law enforcement task significantly more difficult for our law enforcement officers, whom we hire to serve us and keep us as safe as possible. The rules of engagement for these officers would be much more complex if guns are permitted on campus. As things now stand, a law enforcement officer on campus can count on the fact that anyone carrying a gun on campus is in the wrong. That would not be true if we permit guns on campus. If we hope to maintain order on the campus through the use of law enforcement, we should not permit guns on campus. I know that many argue guns on campus will make us safer, since a person with a gun can more quickly shoot down an active shooter in an emergency situation. While that may be true, the small situational benefits that may be realized come at a bigger cost than I am willing to pay. I am personally unwilling to move from a law enforcement model for campus security to one of “self help” or vigilantism in which faculty and students take matters into their own hands by brandishing guns to shoot others who brandish guns. The capacity for mistakes to be made and more violence to ensue when guns are in the hands of non-law enforcement persons on our campus is just too much of a detriment for me. I support responsible gun ownership, but I do not support guns in an educational environment of any kind—including on a college campus (outside the law enforcement context). Thanks for asking for my views on this. I appreciate the Faculty Senate sponsoring this poll.

I would likely resign if this were to happen.

There is no need to allow guns on campus. We would certainly not be safer.

I strongly believe that allowing guns on campus would impinge upon the University’s ability to fulfill its mission and would make it much more difficult for the University to attract high quality faculty and students.For me personally, allowing guns on campus would make it much more likely I would leave the University if given the opportunity. In addition to the change in atmosphere wrought by such a policy, it would speak volumes to the State Legislature’s lack of commitment to a first rate higher education system and willingness to sacrifice educational quality in order to score political points.

NO CAMPUSES SHOULD BE GIVEN OPTIONS TO HAVE GUNS ON THE RESPECTIVE CAMPUSES!!!
I STRONGLY OBJECT to this bill. It will be a “gateway” bill for even worse gun policy on university campuses. I would strongly consider leaving to go to another university if guns are allowed on campus.

Allowing guns on campus (beyond public safety officers) is terrible and dangerous idea. It would jeopardize the entire mission of the higher education and foster an environment of fear and paranoia on campus.

I absolutely oppose firearms on campus. I think allowing them will NOT at all create a safer campus community. I think that it would make life on campus far more dangerous.

I wasn’t sure how to answer the second question. I do not think that there should be guns on campus even if the campuses would like to have them.

The legislature is being disingenuous. They are supporting a ban on guns in their environs based on the recommendation of their police force. They want to force universities to allow guns even though our police force recommends that they not be allowed. I have encouraged my son not to attend the University of Tennessee because of this issue. Neither his father nor his grandfather carried guns while they were on campus; they were safer than he would be attending an institution where disgruntled students can bring a gun to campus without anyone questioning them. Sad end to a family legacy.
In light of increasing numbers of on-campus shooters and the potential threat of disgruntled students, I would feel more comfortable being able to have a concealed weapon on campus. I have been through all the proper training and am a responsible gun owner, and I feel like I should have the opportunity to continue to carry my firearm at work. Those who would seek to harm others with a firearm are going to do so without regard to campus policies banning them, leaving our students, faculty, and staff unarmed and unable to defend themselves.

For number 2 it depends on what the state law is in this regard. I think we will have more deaths as the result of allowing concealed weapons on campus.

I would consider searching for another position at another institute if this was to occur; this does not belong in a classroom/

I can’t imagine that having armed civilians in my classroom or elsewhere on campus would make it safer. In general, police departments, including campus police departments, oppose guns, concealed or openly carried, on campus because they make their jobs harder.

In light of recent university and school shootings, it seems insanity to allow guns on campus.

This law may cause faculty to leave or resign. It would certainly force me to reconsider my future at UT. I strongly oppose it.

This is a foolish and dangerous idea – safe learning environments are NO PLACE for firearms.

IF Tennessee lawmakers make it possible for concealed weapons to be carried on campus THEN each university campus should have the authority to set its own policies regarding guns on campus.

As an elderly woman who never had a gun in my arms I would feel vulnerable if students or my colleagues would have concealed weapon.

Having guns on campus is insane. Period.
I do not want any weapons in my workplace.

Guns do not belong in educational settings, ever.

As a professor I would not feel comfortable with students and/or faculty having guns on campus. I feel that it would stifle robust debate on certain subjects and would have others, including myself, living in fear that someone would use a firearm during class.
This idea of guns in an academic environment, which is not only the classroom, threatens the very nature of open debate, academic freedom and freedom of speech. The faculty at the University of Texas find themselves facing a nightmare as this is being implemented there. The faculty do not feel safer. Quite the reverse. Whose needs would guns on campus serve? This was not a need expressed by our students, faculty and staff. It is political posturing. Stop using the University of Tennessee as a political football.

Guns, young minds with poor impulse control, significant age for onset of mental illness. Add in alcohol and drug abuse by some. What could possibly go wrong? I am a gun owner and my husband is NRA member. This bill scares the heck out of me.

Allowing guns in the classroom would make me feel incredibly terrified for my safety. It’s sheer insanity. It will expose faculty and students to yerrib risk. This is a terrible bill.

I am strongly opposed to guns on campus!

If the bill passes, I will be looking for a position at another institution or will be moving outside of academia. I have been at UT sin 1999.

I think these legislators need to get their heads examined rather than spending tax payers money for these kinds of laws. The second amendment should be nullified. No other industrial and even third world country in the world has such amendment in their constitution.

Keep guns off campus, aside from police. It is incredible we are having to have this discussion. But just say NO GUNS!

As a faculty member, I would feel unsafe with guns in the classroom and with working on campus after hours (or anytime for that matter). I would not want to teach if guns were allowed in the classroom or anywhere on campus.
I am not sure the relevance of two of the questions to the law being considered in the house. Is this about guns on campus and firearms in the classroom, broadly defined? Or about faculty and staff with legal permits to carry, and these firearms on campus and in the classroom? The questions below the statement seem much broader than what is entailed in the house bill, yet they suggest a relationship between them.

I don’t think guns should be allowed on any campus.

No normal society tolerates weapons in a classroom, other than a military class on weapons training.

I’m watching this carefully. It will affect my decision about when to retire. I have never had a semester that I didn’t have at least one troubled student. Since we discuss controversial issues in my class, I will feel very uncomfortable if this passes. Is the legislature going to allow guns on the House and Senate floors when they are in session?

I will actively search for a job at another institution in a state with more rational gun regulations should this bill become law.

This is a very biased questionnaire. It should clearly state people with legal concealed carry permits would be allowed to have guns on campus. It is not the good guys creating chaos in schools and universities; people without legal permits intent on hurting people have free access to campuses with virtually no restrictions. After the shooting has started, it is too late. The bad guys know that they will have several minutes to harm people before police arrive. If campuses were not such an easy target, they may think otherwise. I don’t have to remind anyone of the situations at Virginia Tech, the community college in Oregon, the recruiting station in Chattanooga, schools in Colorado, etc, to know that this is a realistic threat. I do believe that there should be additional restrictions/registrations on campuses so that the police know who is carrying. People with any mental health issues should not be allowed to carry.

There is absolutely no place for concealed or overt firearms on our campuses, other than in hands of law enforcement.

I believe that each campus should have the authority to set its own policies, but I do NOT believe that allowing guns on campus is in the best interest of the campus community, and therefore I do NOT believe that any campus should allow guns on campus. Even if they have the authority, it would be a morally unjustified policy.

If there are guns in my classroom, I won’t be there.

There is an inconsistency between the wording of these questions and the bill being proposed, in that questions 1 and 3 make no mention of university employees being those authorized to have firearms on campus.

I feel like the freedom to share one’s opinions would be greatly diminished if individuals knew or feared that someone with a different viewpoint or strongly held belief might be carrying a gun at any time during class. I know of faculty that would consider moving out of state to other universities that ban guns from classrooms. The presence of guns on campus, whether in the hands of faculty, staff, or students, is fundamentally and diametrically opposed to the educational mission of the university. I strongly oppose all efforts to legalize their presence on UT’s and other campuses.

Question 3 is trick and poorly designed. If only faculty and staff carry in the classroom, then no students do, so where would the plural firearms come from? Be more rigorous.

For Question 2, my opinion is that there should be no guns allowed on any university campus. Only if we are forced to allow those with carry permits to bring their guns on campus, then I strongly agree that each campus should have the right to set its own policies.
I am appalled that the legislature is even considering this. I would not teach my classes if guns were allowed on campus. I feel strongly that this is a mistake, will not make campus or our students safer (in fact the opposite) and that UTK must be able to make their own decisions regarding this issue. If it passes I will be looking for work at other Universities. There are many other alternatives to guns on campus to make our students/faculty/staff feel safer, the least of which is better mental health facilities and more inclusion to make students/faculty/staff feel part of a community that cares about their well-being, as well as their intellectual development.

I would be tempted to quit if guns were allowed on campus. I could not feel safe.

I strongly believe that guns should not be allowed in public places. The university is a public space for learning and for the discussion and exchange of different ideas; in a space like a university campus there is no place for guns of any kind, for anybody, faculty, staff, students, other than police or law enforcement personal. I will feel very uncomfortable and insecure if I know that there are people around carrying guns. I believe we are safer when we don’t have guns; in a a civilice society, as ours ir, problems and conflicts should be deal in a different manner

Guns on campus are an absurdity. I would seriously consider resigning, rather than go along with a policy allowing them.

More guns are only going to lead to more violence, or at the very least to a more tense situation on campus. Students will not feel comfortable knowing that their teacher is potentially armed. Moreover, there are so many possibilities for error – accidentally dropping or firing a gun if one’s bag falls on the floor during class, say, or innumerable other possibilities. All the studies show that “good guys with guns” is a false model, and that increased gun presence leads to increased violence. Guns do not belong on our campus in any place except in the hands of trained law enforcement officers.

This is not only a terrible idea for our campus community, it will also make it hard for us to recruit the best scholars from around the country and around the world to join our faculty. Our campus should be able to set its own policy about this.

I feel comfortable with faculty and staff being allowed to carry legal firearms on campus and in the classroom. Guns are already on campus, but are only carried by those willing to break the rules.

Frightening!

Knowing that some students or faculty and staff are carrying weapons would affect my teaching and the work environment in a very negative way. I’d be terrified.

This survey would flunk Survey Design 101. Never start a survey or question with leading information. Are you trying to get the true pulse of the faculty or are you trying to lead faculty to vote your way? As a TN licensed handgun permit holder and a UT faculty member, I feel the right to carry a gun should not be infringed upon. In the current atmosphere of people shooting up large groups of people, there needs to be a way to defend ourselves without relying on others, i.e. campus police. They can’t get to the scene of a crime fast enough.

There should be a severe penalty for carrying weapons on campus (not just for guns but for other weapons too).

I believe that the only weapons allowed on campus should be those carried by well-trained law-enforcement officials.

Unfortunately, guns on campus and in classrooms cannot be stopped

Guns only escalate violence, not prevent it.

I have PTSD from an incident of violence–a visible gun might trigger a reaction, and could constitute a hostile work environment for me. If the guns are properly concealed, it wouldn’t be so much of an issue, but just knowing that guns are likely to be in many of the shared spaces on campus would increase my anxiety level.

I don’t want guns in my classroom. I have worked at a university where there was a mass shooting, more guns is not going to help anybody and it is not going to make UT any safer.

Please, please read the whole of the Second amendment.

Personal firearms should be permitted on campus. Without the ability to arm themselves, faculty and the students within their classrooms are left with no means of defense in the event such action is needed. Many tragedies could have been greatly diminished or avoided if firearms were permitted.
Permitting guns in a classroom is profoundly opposed to everything I try to accomplish when I teach. I work hard to establish a classroom setting that values mutual respect and thoughtful discussion. The presence of firearms would directly threaten the conversation that can happen in the classroom and thus would directly decrease the quantity and quality of my students’ learning! Not only would firearms would hamper my free speech and that of my students, but I would feel significantly less safe if I knew that guns were on campus. Data on this point is clear: the presence of guns is directly correlated to increased violence, harm, and death. Please, please do not allow guns on campus.

I would consider resigning if guns were allowed in my classroom
I would strongly consider leaving the University of Tennessee for another institution if this were passed.

Let the police do their job, and we, ours.

I’m a UTK alum and current faculty member. I strongly prefer that no one except trained law enforcement officers be allowed to carry guns on campus.

Absolutely not, guns should not be allowed on campus. If the bill is passed I would hope each campus would still be able to say no.

There is no need for guns on campus. Furthermore, our students and their families may reconsider staying at or attending UT should this bill pass. As a faculty member, alumnus, and mother of a recent graduate, I am ashamed that this is being discussed in Nashville and horrified. I do not think any of them would like a group of outsiders determining the status of guns at their workplace or, in the case of our residential students, their home. Our campus law enforcement professionals do not support this which should be good enough. I wonder what will happen when qualified faculty, honors students and highly recruited student-athletes choose not to come to UT and choose, instead, to teach/study/play on a gun-free campus. Maybe then the message will be received. NO GUNS AT UT!

In regard to question #2, if the legislature allows this inane policy to go into effect, then I STRONGLY AGREE that each university should have the right to set its own policy. However, this question should never have to be posed in the first place. THE STATE LEGISLATURE SHOULD NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW GUNS ON CAMPUS, ANYWHERE IN TENNESSEE. THE POLICY TO ALLOW ANY GUNS (concealed, open-carry, or in cars in public parking lots) ON CAMPUSES, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, COMPLETELY INTERRUPTS ACADEMIC FREEDOMS OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND THE STAFF. TO ALLOW GUNS ON CAMPUS AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON, IS AN UNINTELLIGENT AND IRRESPONSIBLE REACTION TO UNSUBSTANTIATED POLITICAL FEAR MONGERING. STOP THIS.

Gun free zones are dangerous places to be and where most mass shootings occur. For that reason, I do not like to work or spend significant amounts of time in gun free zones. As a society we are much safer due to concealed carry laws. Police or security usually only arrive after the shooting by the criminal has ended. If you want to protect yourself and others, promote concealed carry.

The day we allow guns in classrooms is the day I quit!

I can’t say TERRIBLE IDEA loud enough.

When I was in grad school, a student in my class had a psychotic break. He stalked and targeted members of the class. It was terrifying. Had we had a campus that promoted and normalized the presence of guns, I am not sure the end of the story for all of us would be the same. As a female faculty member and a scholar of women’s history, I am also aware of the frightening connections between domestic partnership violence, guns, and the murder of women. Our legislature is either ignoring theses statistics or operating under the illusion that women trained to use guns are less likely to be victims of gun violence. I oppose adding guns to the mix when UTK is already grappling with troubling reports related to sexual assault on this campus. As a scholar of Native American history, it is clear the “right” to own guns has never been a universally applied right. Legislatures pass laws that decide who gets access and who is denied access to guns. History demonstrates that those with legal access to guns often use their guns to limit the rights of others. To offer two examples, soldiers confiscated the guns of Cherokee people during forced removal from their historic homelands in this state to Indian Territory, what is today Oklahoma. Plantation owners limited enslaved people’s access to guns to keep them from challenging their legally sanctioned dehumanization. College campuses are filled with young adults away from home for the first time who will encounter social, cultural, and political differences for the first time. They may experience the onset of mental health issues for the first time. It is more than likely they will drink and do drugs, both of which impair judgment. I oppose normalizing the presence of guns in these situations, which will only lead to an escalation in violent and deadly outcomes when conflict occurs. I reject that we need guns to protect ourselves from one another. If we do, then as an educational institution that seeks truth and understanding of the human condition through knowledge, we have failed. I am adamantly opposed to guns on campus.

Allowing guns on campus will mean that more guns will be present. It is a fact that when more guns are present, suicide rates increase. Is this what we want for our students?

I am strongly opposed to guns on campus

The University should oppose this bill in the strongest possible terms. The data are unequivocal that allowing more guns reduces, not increases, public safety.

Our students carry firearms in our classrooms; attacks happen on campus (sometimes in broad daylight) and in the garages where faculty must park. Why do I not have the right to protect myself and others should (God forbid) a violent threat present itself?

The possibility of “classroom rage” is too real. The possibility of gun-carrying people trying to be heros and getting in the way is too real. The possibility of accidental discharge of a gun is too real.

We must see arming citizens for what it is: a threat to public health, a threat to children, women and the vulnerable, and national security. Guns have no place in any school K-university.

Putting guns on campus is one of the absolutely dumbest things I can imagine. I have faced live incoming fire. You have no idea how you will react until you see it. I have also done live fire “life and death firing decision” training. Most folks have no idea what it is like to make those decisions or how difficult it is to maintain firing discipline under intense conditions. Most folks don’t realize what it feels like (even in a training exercise) to make the wrong decision. It is terrifying to think about what might (is likely to) happen. Guns do NOT belong on campus. Even a “well regulated militia” is prone to making terrifyingly bad decisions – I hate to think what could happen during amateur day with a gun.

I would be VERY concerned if it became acceptable, particularly, for students, to carry weapons on campus and into classrooms. Imagine having a discussion over a controversial topic when the person you are debating is armed. Just strikes me as not a good thing for learning and free exchange of ideas.

There is no place for guns on campus. It is a disaster waiting to happen.

I do NOT want guns on our campus and in our classrooms! This goes against everything for which institutions of higher learning stand.

I would only support this if they allow conceal and carry in the state capital and in the senate and house chambers. what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Each university community should have the right to decide whether guns are allowed on campus. If this bill is passed, Tennessee legislators will be imposing their personal preferences on each university campus with no input from or regard for the will of the university community. Tennessee legislators will be guilty of using “big government tactics” to enforce their will.

This bill cannot pass! It is a terrible idea. More guns will not prevent the problem, but rather complicate a potential threat. UT Police can handle this job. I DO NOT want any guns or weapons in my classroom!!

I have been a stalking victim and ow personal firearms in my home. If anyone would be deserving of having a gun for protection it is me. I understand that with the high density of people on campus, having guns would understand,one my safety and not enhsnce it. Please say no to guns on a college campus, except police.

If such a bill passes, it will negatively impact faculty and staff recruitment and retention, and will potentially decrease out-of-state enrollment.

I wold consider finding employment elsewhere if either faculty or students were allowed to carry guns on campus.

No one can teach controversial subjects when they don’t feel safe. This is another way of infringing on academic freedom.

Question three is a bit tricky. I would not feel comfortable having students in the classroom with firearms. But, I would feel comfortable carrying my own.

This is truly a dealbreaker for me. I would resign from my position at UTK if guns are permitted on campus. I do not think that critical thinking and learning – nor academic freedom generally – can be realized in an environment of fear and impending violence, which is precisely the environment that guns on campus would create.
This is a egregiously biased questionnaire with a foregone conclusion. Even if I don’t support guns on campus, I don’t like this questionnaire at all. Question 1 is not “Allowing guns on campus is in the best interest of the campus community.” Question 1 should be “Law-abiding individuals permitted to carry firearms by the state of Tennessee should not be prohibited from exercising that right on campus.” As it is written, question 1 includes the possibility of illegal guns on campus, which has nothing to do with the bill.

This is lunacy. In no way will allowing firearms on campus, by faculty or others, enhance the efficacy of our university in any capacity.

Allowing faculty and staff to carry concealed weapons, with a permit, on campus at public colleges and universities……….. madness! insanity!

I left my previous institution for this very reason. I will also leave the University of Tennessee if students are permitted to carry weapons in my classroom. There are brilliant minds that desire to come to school in Knoxville. This kind of legislation embarrasses our University and state on an International level.
I believe that guns have no place on campus, as they would threaten the free exchange of ideas on campus as well as the integrity of the teacher-student relationships. Allowing guns on campus is inviting more violence to happen. I would feel very unsafe if this bill is passed. Please stop this bill.

I will be leaving the University of Tennessee if this ridiculous law passes

If guns are allowed on campus, I am going to have to find a public place to meet with students and would consider no longer holding office hours, at least not in my office. This will sometimes infringe on student privacy, but I don’t want to feel like I am putting my life at risk if a student stops by my office hours. I often deal with students who are either upset that they are not doing well in my class or who are going through mental health crises. I want students to feel like I am there for them, but I also want to make it home to my family at night. I don’t want a law that puts those two goals in conflict.

Your questions are loaded. What does #3 have to do with the bill at hand, given that this bill wants to allow *full time staff* (not students), to carry? Surely #2 could be differentiated between private and public institutions. —– I sure would find it safer to walk to my car after late hours if I were allowed to carry.

Allowing any sort of weapons on campus is in direct opposition to the educational mission of this university.

I am strongly opposed to guns on campus – even if restricted to faculty and staff or to specific areas on campus. With the exception of police or security personnel, there should be no need to have a weapon on campus. If people feel a need to carry a gun, then we are not creating the environment that is needed to support learning, growth, and expression.

Scary…

There are certain circumstances when firearms are required or recommended for research in my colleagues’ fields. Most dart guns used to tranquilize or deliver drugs to wildlife are classified as firearms. Also, some colleagues recommend carrying firearms when conducting research in remote Wildlife Management Areas or other parks for personal safety. I hope that we would allow firearms in UT vehicles when off campus.

Firearms have absolutely NO place at institutions of learning unless they are in the hands of law enforcement personnel.

This is an idea conceived by ideological twits. On a campus riddled with sexual assault and problems with diversity, guns on campus is asking for kids to be killed. At the same time, the ideological twits who really believe these guns won’t make their way into student housing are extraordinarily foolish. Nothing says nightmare like student + alcohol + guns. Believing anything less is just like digging your own head into sand. And finally, we also have a campus rife with students–from a variety of perspectives–who reject any of their beliefs being questioned. As a teacher, I’m already accounting for that. Doing what I’ve always done–and what I was trained to do–is *over* if students are packing heat. And I suppose, quite frankly, that’s exactly what Tennessee Legislature wants. That’s how an orthodoxy stays in place.

I have been studying and working at Univeristies my entire life. I have never felt the need to have a weapon, either as a student or as a faculty member. This type of legislation is an invitation to disaster.

If there is a real issue then this should be solved by having more police as they have the required training.

1) I am not opposed in principle to this Bill (for civil rights reasons) but I would like our campus to decide ultimately what it wants for itself – with the input of UTPD. If UTPD thinks that allowing firearms on campus would prevent it from doing its job, I will be in favor of a ban. If UTPD thinks however that it can still do its job, given the right legal/financial resources etc, then I would think that the Bill is acceptable. I do not own a gun nor do I plan on getting/ bearing one, in or out of campus, and my position is based on how I understand civil rights. 2) I think the questions in this poll are somewhat biased, I understand the bill to be limited to employees, and the question seem to be in very general terms of “guns on campus” omitting the restriction to employees. I wonder by the way if graduate students TAs would be considered “employees” for the purpose of this bill.

I would immediately go on the job market if this became law. I would never feel safe on campus if my students and colleagues were packing concealed weapons.

not no guns on campus but HELL NO, NO GUNS ON CAMPUS
guns are a danger to everyone. it should be illegal to require someone to work in a hostile environment.

Answered #2 as neutral due to the variety of ways to ensure that guns would not be legal on TN college/university campuses. If leaving it up to individual campuses was the last resort, I would strongly agree.

Firearms on campus will be detrimental to attracting and maintaining top talent at the university, which includes staff, students and faculty. This, combined with the state legislature’s assault on our diversity programs, is greatly hindering our growth and potential as we strive to become a top-25 public institution.
I am a responsible and highly-trained concealed-carry handgun permit holder who weekly practices at a local range and competes in regional events with other target shooters.I have also completed several scenario workshops, conducted by vetted experts. I am not just someone who purchased a .38 special to brandish about. I take my responsibility very seriously and respect firearms and their use…both for recreation and for self- preservation. I also am on campus late at night and must walk in the dark to my vehicle and I always am on guard until I arrive at my vehicle in the parking garage. I am fully capable of using my cocealed-carry firearm to protect myself and would prefer to have it on my person on campus, especially after dark. This poll needs to be more inclusive/descriptive…it does not fully address the issues that I have stated here in my comments. Should anyone be able to carry a firearm on campus? No. Should those individuals who are trained and who have legal carry permits be allowed to conceal carry on campus? Yes. A concerned faculty member. Question #1 is ambiguous at best. Question #2 is fine as is. Question #3 is also ambiguous as stated.

I do not feel safe thinking anyone around me might have a gun.

Guns should not be allowed on campuses, and no Tennessee campus should be permitted to allow that. Allowing guns where there are so many young people and where emotions can run so high is an inherently bad idea.

I would not stay as a faculty member at the University of Tennessee being pushed into a situation where I might have to make a life or death decision about a student, or aggressor. We have professionally qualified people to handle guns, the police department and the military, and let us be the professional we are, teach young people to help them on their life journey.

Firearms on campus would create a potentially very dangerous situation. Guns on campus are unnecessary, inappropriate, and just not a good idea. We have campus security to keep us safe.

If firearms are allowed on campus, it is only a matter of time until tempers flare and students, faculty, or staff get killed. When that happens, there will be a backlash and this misguided legislation will have to be repealed. Why go through this foolish exercise in the first place? No good will come of it.
I have 100 students per semester. Every semester, I have at least one that is aggressive and hostile to me or another student. While that means 99 students per semester are wonderful to work with, if this bill passed, there would always be one I was worried about speaking to regarding their behavior because he may have a gun. I would feel unsafe in my classroom and in my office (which is on a very quiet and often secluded floor).

As a military veteran and one who has been trained on firearms as well as coming from a family of gun owners I believe that it would be highly unwise to permit fire arms on campus by those other than duly appointed and trained police. This would cause unnecessary tension and safety issues in the classroom, dorms and public spaces. Considering that even well and regularly trained law enforcement and military members make mistakes the last thing that we need on this campus are individuals licensed but not properly trained able to freely carry weapons. There is no place for guns on any campus among the general population. Study after study has shown that improper storage and use of guns is essentially a public health concern.

During final exams and other stressful times for students, guns are a tragedy waiting to happen. If this were to pass, I would strongly consider resigning my position and looking for employment at another university.

OMG!!! Guns on campus!! NO WAY…EVER!!! Please…NO!!!

As someone running one of the programs in which most students take courses, I’ve had countless disgruntled students in my office during the academic year. Most are dealing with a host of issues–stress, mental illnesses, lack of sleep, etc–and are incredibly angry about grades or other classroom issues. I’ve dealt with a student stalking his teacher, another threatening another student, threats against teachers, etc. Allowing guns on our campuses is asking for these students to move beyond threats and into action. I and others will consider leaving the vocation we love if this bill is approved. We will no longer have the ability to do our jobs effectively. period.

Guns carried by people without extensive police level training would make our campuses less safe. Steps our legislators can take to improve safety on campuses include funding proximity card access to all buildings especially after hours, satellite stations for campus police to improve response time and intelligent CCTV systems. The statements in this misguided poll are far more general than the proposed legislation, which is limited to faculty and staff with concealed-carry permits. I can easily imagine that the responses to these three broad statements might not necessarily reflect the respondents’ opinions on the specific legislation. As such, and I would strongly encourage the Senate leadership to be very careful and precise when circulating, discussing, or interpreting the results of this poll.

We are a country of idiots.

Guns have no place on a college campus. If students are allowed to carry guns to class, all of my classes will be changed to on-line only.

As a gun owner and pending gun permit holder, I don’t like how question 3 is posed; it is “leading” in a negative way. The question should be neutral like “As a faculty member, I believe allowing guns on campus by legal gun permit holders will not negatively impact the safety and security of the campus population.

If guns on campus are allowed on the UT campus, I will strongly consider to get a job in a different state.

The firearm never ever allowed to be kept in campus what so ever. This is extremely bully idea to bring it up. Having bunch of armed bad mannered & good mannered military style student as well as teachers does not make compus safe rather make it scarey

NO GUNS ON CAMPUS!!!

No firearms on campus, period.

A blatantly stupid idea. All statistics support the simple fact – when there is a gun, chances of it killing someone increases irrespective of good or bad intent

sadly gun control has become a cultural issue and gun rights is now an essential part of the red state landscape…. No weapons at campus!

Legislators should stop trying to meddle and micro-manage our educational system in TN.

Guns on campus is a recipe for disaster. I’ve never not felt safe on campus. Introducing the freedom to carry guns on campus would change that equation. There’s no problem, so let’s not create one. A

I agree that each institution should be able to decide (local government), but I will have a very hard time working and being collegial at a university that permits guns on campus. I would likely come to campus to teach, but conduct a majority of my office day/to/day items at my home office.

Unless someone is part of a ‘well regulated militia’ the second amendment does not apply.

Absolutely oppose guns on campus.

I think to bring firearms on campus is a massive mistake. I cannot believe that this is even a consideration for the UT system. However, given all the negative publicity that we have gotten in the last year, it is understandable for some of our administration/faculty would think this is OK.
This is not a good idea. If this is allowed, the potential to prevent a tragedy seems FAR SMALLER than the potential for accidental (or intentional) danger and I would be quite concerned about my safety and the workplace environment.

I would seriously consider quitting and finding a job elsewhere if firearms are allowed on campus.

please note that the number of peoples being killed by guns much more than the number of people being protected by having a gun.

Guns at the Universoty is an awful idea!

Research has been very clear that the vast majority of gun permit holders are not adequately trained to handle mass shooter incidents or crime prevention on campus; it requires special training and many hours for police officers. I stand with our campus police who think guns on campus are dangerous, unnecessary, and an additional liability for the whole campus community.

This is outrageous. I might even support a faculty walkout. A demonstration is not sufficient. We also need to get our administrators to publicly condemn the legislature.

I wish our lawmakers would let schools do their business without this nonsense.

This is total madness. I will consider resigning from my faculty position if this were to happen

I absolutely do not want guns in my classroom, in my building, or on this campus. Weapons destroy an open learning environment. My students should not have to live in fear, and neither should I.

I don’t mind faculty and staff having concealed weapons, so long as they are locked and secured when on campus and stay out of classrooms (except for cases of emergency). I am very concerned about students having concealed weapons since they move throughout campus throughout the day (making theft more likely). Also, given that students are at a young and impressionable age where things such as bad grades and criticizing feedback might cause them to make irrational and short term decisions, I do not feel comfortable with students bringing guns on campus in any form.

Each University should not be allowed to set policy – No guns on any campuses!

Guns are too often associated with accidents!

I was a professor at Virginia Tech when the shootings happened there. To say this issue is personal for me. If my voice would be useful for advocating against this wrong-headed bill, please don’t hesitate to contact me: [redacted]
There is NO reason for anyone to have guns on campus. It only makes everyone more paranoid and I don’t want to have to worry about an angry student coming into my office carrying a “legal” gun to a meeting to discuss his/her grades.

As a new faculty member who is very happy with my position at UT, this is the #1 thing that would cause me to go back on the market. I am making sure I remain a viable, attractive candidate just in case TN passes a campus carry law and I need to find a new position.

Guns have no business on a college campus. PERIOD. If this law were to be enacted, I would look for employment in another State.

Guns on campus is an incredibly stupid idea. Guns do not make us safer. They put us in more danger.

This bill is complete insanity. When I was a young man I watched an episode of All in the Family and the dimwitted protagonist was speaking about airplane hijacking and his solution was to arm every passenger. It was clear that this was meant as a ridiculous solution that would make matters much worse. How is that any different? We are asking for trouble if we pass a law like this.

Regarding #2 – guns should be banned on campus.

No guns on campus!
I am vehemently opposed to allowing any type of gun on campus–concealed or not.
Students have guns and if they mean harm they will bring them anyway.
Definitely do not think it is a good idea.
More guns = more opportunities for violence. Guns are for hunting game – they have no place at a university.